The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) Announces Its 2026 Outstanding Special Education Teacher Award Recipients

New York, NY, Aug. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET), the premier national organization serving special education professionals since 2004, today announced the recipients of its 2026 Outstanding Special Education Teacher Awards, honoring 12 exceptional educators representing 11 states.

Spotlighting Teachers Who Inspire

Since 2006, NASET's Outstanding Special Education Teacher Award has celebrated educators who embody lifelong learning, innovation, and deep commitment to providing access to every student. Each honoree was nominated by a colleague, supervisor, parent, or family member. In 2026, NASET proudly honors:

• Hapibel Duque, Daniel Webster Elementary School (CA)
• Alisha Miranda, California School of the Arts-San Gabriel Valley (CA)
• Brandi Shipman, Tomlinson Elementary School (TX)
• Cheryl Thomas, Benway School (NJ)
• Paige Peterson, Platte River Academy (CO)
• Rosel Joy Dalisay, Crow Agency Public Schools (MT)
• Morgan Lorenzen, Huntington Elementary School (NE)
• John Gehrke, Helping Hand School (IL)
• Seyyed Sharifi, Hartvigsen School (UT)
• Chamroeun “Nathan” Lim, James Campbell High School (HI)
• Marion Howell, New York City Department of Education, District 75 Home Instruction (NY)
• Christy McIntosh Bain, Brock's Gap Intermediate School (AL)

All 2026 honorees are recognized in NASET's Outstanding Teacher Directory at https://www.naset.com/awards.

From elementary classrooms to high schools, from public and private schools to home instruction programs, this year's honorees reflect the full breadth of settings where special educators change lives every day.

This recognition comes on the heels of NASET's peer-reviewed academic journal, the Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals (JAASEP), launching its Spring/Summer 2026 issue. Led by co-editors-in-chief Dr. Allie Boquet (LSU) and Dr. Chelsea Morris (UNM), the journal is available at https://www.aasep.org.

About NASET

Founded in 2004, the National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) provides five board certifications in areas including special education advocacy, IEP development, and paraprofessional support. NASET serves a community of over 100,000 teachers, administrators, professionals, and families, offering a weekly newsletter, monthly webinars on critical special education topics such as policy, law, and IEP composition, an active private membership community, and publishing the Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals (JAASEP), a peer-reviewed journal advancing special education research, policy, and practice.

NASET Team
National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET)
contactus@naset.org
https://www.naset.com/